Paris (AFX) - The French agriculture ministry said it has authorised 13 field trials for genetically modified organisms (GMOs) in 2007, adding that EU rules on GMOs will be adopted by decree 'before the end of March'.

The companies who have received licences for this year's round of trials are Syngenta (nyse: SYT - news - people ), Pioneer, Librophyt, Biogemma, Monsanto (nyse: MON - news - people ) and BASF (nyse: BF - news - people ).

The number of trials compares with 17 in 2006.

The trials will include 12 for maize and one for tobacco. A 14th application, involving a genetically modified potato, was rejected by the Commission du Genie Biomoleculaire (CGB).

The CGB said it received 26,306 comments during a recent public consultation, adding that none caused it to reconsider its approval for the 13 trials.

Separately, the agriculture ministry said the French government will publish decrees before the end of the month in order to write EU rules on GMOs into national law.

France faces heavy fines from the EU if it does not go ahead and adopt the European rules.

But the government has delayed doing so in the face of intense opposition to GMOs in France, led by presidential candidate Jose Bove.